Discovery BoxJohn 9:24-34 
Context9:24 Then they summoned 1 the man who used to be blind 2 a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. 3 We know that this man 4 is a sinner.” 9:25 He replied, 5 “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.” 9:26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” 6 9:27 He answered, 7 “I told you already and you didn’t listen. 8 Why do you want to hear it 9 again? You people 10 don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
9:28 They 11 heaped insults 12 on him, saying, 13 “You are his disciple! 14 We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man 15 comes from!” 9:30 The man replied, 16 “This is a remarkable thing, 17 that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 18 9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to 19 sinners, but if anyone is devout 20 and does his will, God 21 listens to 22 him. 23 9:32 Never before 24 has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 25 9:33 If this man 26 were not from God, he could do nothing.” 9:34 They replied, 27 “You were born completely in sinfulness, 28 and yet you presume to teach us?” 29 So they threw him out.
1 tn Grk “they called.”
2 tn Grk “who was blind.”
3 tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).
4 tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.
5 tn Grk “Then that one answered.”
6 tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
7 tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
8 tn Grk “you did not hear.”
9 tn “It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.
10 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
11 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
12 tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”
13 tn Grk “and said.”
14 tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”
15 tn Grk “where this one.”
16 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
17 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
18 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
19 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
20 tn Or “godly.”
21 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 tn Or “hears.”
23 tn Grk “this one.”
24 tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”
25 tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
26 tn Grk “this one.”
27 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”
28 tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.
29 tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”
